One of the wonderful things about blogging, besides being able to archive adventures in foodies adventures and otherwise, are the people you connect to through shared interests, passions and sometimes obsessions.

Idaho Foodies has allowed me to connect with some wonderful culinary cohorts from around the globe – and in my hometown.

From Lynn: Charcutepaloozais making me nervous ??? both on a practical and philosophical level. A year-long project conceived and organized by Mrs. Wheelbarrow, and the Yummy Mummy, Charcutepalooza is a blog challenge, all about learning to smoke, preserve and cure meat. All the bloggers signed up will cook their way through Michael Ruhlman???s Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing. I haven???t eaten red meat deliberately in more than 12 years. So why did I sign up? Two words: Duck Prosciutto ??? the inaugural challenge and something I???ve wanted to make for years. Prosciutto is literally Italian for ham, traditionally made from dry cured, uncooked pork. It is typically sliced paper thin and served raw. It???s an incredible flavor, and one I???ve missed on our no-mammal diet.

Duck Prosciutto? Hell yeah! Now I’m hooked on the Charcutepalooza initiative (I did say charcuterie at least three times this weekend while in Seattle, bemoaning that yet again my trip didn’t land on days that Salumi was open)

Thanks Lynn for the inspiration – and welcome to Boise! Happy to make the connection – and looking forward to a 2011 learning the art of smoking, preserving & curing meats!

About Idaho Foodies

Based in Boise, Jess Flynn is a foodie at heart. Not (at all) trained in culinary arts, she embraces a diversity of deliciousness and admires the producers, chefs, restauranteurs and culinary artists … keep reading